If you stop part way on your drive to OBX, what determines where your stay? We usually leave in the middle of the night to avoid traffic, get there around breakfast time then head to the beach until we can get in the house. But since we have a Sunday check in I'm thinking of leaving Saturday, staying overnight and driving the rest of the way early Sunday morning. It's been getting harder for DH to drive all night that darn age thing is catching up. Not sure how he will feel about this but I'm sure he will thank me when he gets to enjoy Sunday and not want to sleep all day!

If we stop we stay around Newport News. My brother lived there for years, so we just got used to staying there. It's nice because it's only a couple hours away. We just sleep in, take our time, and leave around 11/12.

I use to be able to drive 14 to 16 hrs and feel fine the next day. Then it became 12. Now I realize and have found 8 to 10 is the max, if I don't want to take a full day to recover or get sleepy while driving. I figure if I get between 500 and 600 miles in a day I am good. I use to love overnight or very early driving, but the eyes are getting older.

If you want to do something different; go east to Annapolis, Md, cross the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and drive down the Eastern Shore. A wonderful place to stop for the night would be Chincoteague, Va. It's a small island with several nice hotels, it connects to another island that houses Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge and Assateague National Seashore. On the day that you go to OBX, you continue down the Eastern Shore and cross the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel . You will then be in Virginia Beach, an hour and a half from OBX ! We love to go this way often. We spend lots of time in Chincoteague.

Which way are you traveling? The area around Williamsburg makes a nice stopover, and Williamsburg could use the money as interest in historical venues has broadly declined, and hit Williamsburg hard because they weren't paying poverty wages. There really is something there for almost every taste, and people are generally very, very accommodating.

KDHBreeze, we're coming from just north of Pittsburgh so Williamsburg is definitely on the way. I'll leave it up to DH to pick how far he wants to drive but we will definitely want to hit the beach early on Sunday. It's kind of like an extra day at the beach and we can all use those!

We typically stay in Glen Allen, VA which is maybe a mile off on 95 on the northern side of Richmond. There are a few hotels and many restaurants in the area, include Q BBQ a few hundred feet away. It takes us 3.5 hours the next day but still lets us decide whether we take 64 or 460 over to the coast. This of course depends on which day we arrive and how early we leave.

We take the "southern" route down 77 and across NC around Raleigh. If we have to start later during the day, like after school lets out for our kids, we stay at the midway point near Wyethville or Hillsville VA. There are a lot of hotels in those two areas, we find the one that fits our needs for that trip. If we start early morning and want to push farther, we stay near Raleigh, usually north of the city. The drive into the OBX from there is an easy drive that puts us on the island early and not feeling completely worn out. It's like an extra day. If you have the time, breaking it up into two days is the way to go. Sometimes we have even taken three days; two days at a hotel and take in some sights/attractions, visit with friends that live in the area, etc. near where have stayed in Raleigh on the "non-driving" day.

We did it for the first time this past Summer. We stayed in Newport News VA. We kind of wung it and did not have any reservations because we did not know how far we would make it. IMO the nicer hotels were too expensive just for one night so we found a Motel 8 on the endge of the main strip. Lets just say it was in a pretty shady neighborhood and I am glad I brounght my hand gun with me Over all though the rooms were very clean and not bad priced for about 80 bucks for the night. We would stay there again but if I have it my way I would drive straight through. This whole thing was "her" idea

If you stop part way on your drive to OBX, what determines where your stay?

Raine

I often leave after work, Chesapeake, VA, is a good stopping point. I get past DC and Richmond and as others have said, it is a relatively short drive to the OBX. Chesapeake also has plenty of stores, allowing stops there, rather than in the OBX region.

We always stop in Salisbury MD. It makes for a much shorter trip the second day and we can go at a more leisurely pace. We've found a pet friendly hotel that's reasonably clean and conveniently located so it works for us.

I used to drive straight through and it took around 12 hours. As I get older, it is much more comfortable to stop when I get tired. I usually end up in Lumberton, North Carolina. I stay at the Fairfield Inn or Springhill Suites. They are always clean, safe and comfortable.

For our 16 hour+ drive, I use to get on the road early, early AM - around 2 or 3, and drive straight through. The last 2 times, we've stayed over in Hillsville, VA. That gives us a 5 hour drive to be on the island.

If you come I-81 to I-64, I would suggest stopping in Charlottesville, VA. The Holiday Inn-Monticello is right off I-64 and is dog friendly. Good selection of restaurants and highly recommend visiting Thomas Jefferson's home Monticello if you haven't been. From there you can continue on I-64 to I-295 to Rt. 460 for a relaxing trip.

My parents usually stop and stay at a hotel in deleware or maryland, not sure which. It's a 10.5 - 11 drive from here in CT. Depending how you drive and traffic, just took us 14 hours back up with 2 lane closures on jersey pike . sucked.

We take the "southern" route down 77 and across NC around Raleigh. If we have to start later during the day, like after school lets out for our kids, we stay at the midway point near Wyethville or Hillsville VA. There are a lot of hotels in those two areas, we find the one that fits our needs for that trip. If we start early morning and want to push farther, we stay near Raleigh, usually north of the city. The drive into the OBX from there is an easy drive that puts us on the island early and not feeling completely worn out. It's like an extra day. If you have the time, breaking it up into two days is the way to go. Sometimes we have even taken three days; two days at a hotel and take in some sights/attractions, visit with friends that live in the area, etc. near where have stayed in Raleigh on the "non-driving" day.

Leon

This is exactly what we do...though only one year did we stay at Wythville, but that is because we started later in the day. Typically, we leave around 8:30-9:00am on Friday and stay in Raleigh. Enjoy dinner, a nights rest and a good breakfast, then we head out to US 64

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